1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a system for processing, such as cleaning, various substrates, such as semiconductor wafers and LCD substrates, with processing liquid.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, in a semiconductor device fabricating process, there is used a wafer cleaning system for cleaning a semiconductor wafer serving as a substrate with a cleaning liquid, such as a chemical or water, to remove particles, contamination, such as organic contamination and metal contamination, and polymers after etching, from the wafer. There is also used a wafer drying system for removing droplets from the wafer and drying the wafer with an inert gas, such as nitrogen (N2) gas, or IPA vapor having high volatility and hydrophilic property.
As such a cleaning/drying system, a system for batch-processing a plurality of wafers is known. For example, a case, in which a plurality of wafers are housed so that their principal planes are substantially perpendicular, is mounted at a predetermined position in the cleaning/drying system, and the plurality of wafers in the case are taken out by means of a conveying mechanism to be transferred to a wafer holding means for holding the wafers. Then, in a processing vessel, a predetermined liquid-processing and drying processing are carried out for the wafers, which are held by the wafer holding means so that the principal planes are substantially perpendicular. Thereafter, the wafers are conveyed to the case again by means of the conveying mechanism.
In recent years, with the high integration and mass production of semiconductor devices, the diameter of wafers increases from 200 mm to 300 mm. In accordance therewith, regarding cases for storing and conveying wafers, the cases accommodating therein the wafers in a perpendicular state are changed to the cases accommodating therein the wafers in a horizontal state.
However, if the mechanisms and members of the respective units for handling the wafers are enlarged in accordance with the increase of the size of the wafers without changing the structure of the conventional system, the enlargement of the whole system can not be avoided. With the enlargement of the system, it is required to consider the structure of the system so that it is possible to easily carry out the transportation of the system from a production field to an installed position at which the system is used, the assembly operation of the system at the installed position, and the maintenance of the interior of the system.
On the other hand, it is greatly hoped to improve the construction of the system to suppress the enlargement of the system while corresponding to the increase of the diameter of waters. In this case, with the change of the internal construction in the system, it is required to appropriately control the flow of air so as not to contaminate the wafers.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to eliminate the aforementioned problems and to provide a system for processing a substrate with a processing liquid, in which transportation, assembly and maintenance can be easily carried out. It is another object of the present invention to provide a system capable of handling substrates having a larger size than that of conventional substrates and of inhibiting the substrates from being contaminated.
In order to accomplish the aforementioned and other objects, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for processing a substrate with a processing liquid, the system comprising: a case carrying unit for carrying in/out a case accommodating therein the substrate; a liquid-processing unit for supplying the processing liquid to process the substrate with the processing liquid; a substrate conveying unit for conveying the substrate between the case carrying unit and the liquid-processing unit; a processing liquid storing unit for storing the processing liquid, feeding the processing liquid to the liquid-processing unit and recovering the processing liquid from the liquid-processing unit; and a plurality of frames each supporting one or more of the case carrying unit, the liquid-processing unit, the substrate conveying unit and the processing liquid storing unit, wherein at least two of the plurality of frames are capable of being connected to and separated from each other.
According to the present invention, there is also provided a system for processing a substrate with a processing liquid, the system comprising: a case carrying unit for carrying in/out a case accommodating therein the substrate; a liquid-processing unit for supplying the processing liquid to process the substrate with the processing liquid; a substrate conveying unit for conveying the substrate between the case carrying unit and the liquid-processing unit; a processing liquid storing unit for storing the processing liquid, feeding the processing liquid to the liquid-processing unit and recovering the processing liquid from the liquid-processing unit; and a plurality of controllers for controlling the liquid-processing unit, the substrate conveying unit and the processing liquid storing unit, wherein each of the controllers is constructed as a boxed unit, and is arranged in an upper portion of the substrate conveying unit or the processing liquid storing unit.
According to the present invention, there is also provided a system for processing a substrate with a processing liquid, the system comprising: a case carrying unit for carrying in/out a case accommodating therein the substrate; a liquid-processing unit for supplying the processing liquid to process the substrate with the processing liquid; a substrate conveying unit for conveying the substrate between the case carrying unit and the liquid-processing unit; a processing liquid storing unit for storing the processing liquid, feeding the processing liquid to the liquid-processing unit and recovering the processing liquid from the liquid-processing unit; a plurality of controllers for controlling the liquid-processing unit, the substrate conveying unit and the processing liquid storing unit; a power supply unit for the plurality of controllers; and an exhaust system for collecting air exhausted from the plurality of controllers and air exhausted from the power supply unit, in one place, and exhausting air out of the system.
In these systems, each unit of the system is supported on a plurality of frames which can be separated from each other, so that it is possible to easily transport the system by dividing the whole system by separating the frames from each other. It is also possible to shorten the system producing period since each of the frames to be connected can be produced in a separate assembling process.
Since the controller for controlling each unit of the system is constructed as a boxed unit, it is possible to easily carry out the assembly, disassembly and maintenance of the system.
Since air exhausted from the respective controllers and power supply units are collected in one place to be exhausted, the exhaust system can have a simple structure. Also from this point, it is possible to easily carry out the assembly and maintenance of the system.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for processing a substrate with a processing liquid, the system comprising: a substrate transfer chamber provided with a holder formed so as to hold a substrate, the substrate being transferred between the holder and an outside of the substrate transfer chamber; a blower mechanism provided in a ceiling portion of the substrate transfer chamber; and a processing-vessel chamber provided with a processing vessel, the substrate held by the holder being carried into the processing vessel and the processing liquid being supplied to the substrate in the vessel to process the substrate with the processing liquid, wherein air supplied from the blower mechanism to the substrate transfer chamber is exhausted from the substrate transfer chamber via the processing-vessel chamber.
According to the present invention, there is also provided a system for processing a substrate with a processing liquid, the system comprising: a substrate transfer chamber provided with a holder formed so as to hold a substrate, the substrate being transferred between the holder and an outside of the substrate transfer chamber; a blower mechanism provided in a ceiling portion of the substrate transfer chamber; a processing-vessel chamber provided with a processing vessel, the substrate held by the holder being carried into the processing vessel and the processing liquid being supplied to the substrate in the vessel to process the substrate with the processing liquid; and a utility chamber provided with a liquid feeding mechanism for feeding the processing liquid to the processing vessel, and a processing liquid recovering mechanism for recovering the processing liquid fed to the processing vessel, wherein air supplied from the blower mechanism to the substrate transfer chamber is exhausted from the substrate transfer chamber via the processing-vessel chamber or the utility chamber.
According to the present invention, there is also provided a system for processing a substrate with a processing liquid, the system comprising: a case carrying unit for carrying in/out a case accommodating therein the substrate; a liquid-processing unit for supplying the processing liquid to process the substrate with the processing liquid; and a substrate conveying unit for conveying the substrate between the case carrying unit and the liquid-processing unit, the liquid-processing unit comprising: a substrate transfer chamber provided with a holder formed so as to hold a substrate, the substrate being transferred between the holder and the substrate conveying unit; a blower mechanism provided in a ceiling portion of the substrate transfer chamber; a processing-vessel chamber provided with a processing vessel, the substrate held by the holder being carried into the processing vessel and the processing liquid being supplied to the substrate in the vessel to process the substrate with the processing liquid; and a utility chamber provided with a liquid feeding mechanism for feeding the processing liquid to the processing vessel, and a processing liquid recovering mechanism for recovering the processing liquid fed to the processing vessel, wherein air supplied from the blower mechanism to the substrate transfer chamber is exhausted from the substrate transfer chamber via the processing-vessel chamber or the utility chamber.
In these systems, in the substrate transfer chamber in which the substrate is exposed in its uncovered state, it is possible to inhibit the adhesion of particles and so forth by clean air supplied from the blower mechanism provided in the ceiling portion of the substrate transfer chamber, so that it is possible to hold the high quality of the substrate. Since the cleanliness required for the processing-vessel chamber and the utility chamber is lower than that required for the substrate transfer chamber, it is possible to maintain a sufficient cleanliness by introducing and exhausting clean air supplied to the substrate transfer chamber. Therefore, it is not required to provide any exclusive blower mechanisms for the processing-vessel chamber and the utility chamber, so that it is possible to reduce the costs for the system.